After an impressive start in Paris, Joaquin Niemann says an unfair Olympic qualification criteria means “you don’t have the best players” playing in the event – which he says is part of a wider “crisis” in the game.
The LIV Golf member shot a five-under round of 66 at Le Golf National to sit three behind Hideki Matsuyama after his incredible 63 in the first round of the men’s Olympic golf event.
Niemann has long been one of the more vocal LIV Golf players calling for either a change in the Official World Golf Ranking to include their events or a direct pathway from the team golf tour into the four Majors.
The Chilean can get an exemption into all four Majors in 2025 as part of the prize for winning the Olympic golf tournament, but feels he shouldn’t have to.
As several others have insisted, Niemann does not believe all the strongest players in the world are in Paris due to the Olympic qualifying criteria – which runs off the OWGR and has a four-man limit per country.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” Niemann said of the Olympic qualifying process. “Because you don’t have the best players right now I feel like.”
Niemann does add that he thinks the powers that be “will find a way” of sorting it out – but the same could be said for the ranking points saga and LIV Golf.
Although he was one of the players who opted to play in events around the world including on the DP World Tour and Asian Tour, Niemann feels a system where he has to go chasing ranking points is one that needs fixing.
“I feel like it’s what I do and I feel like right now, there’s a little bit of a crisis and things that have to be fixed,” he added. “I just play another week of golf and try to earn my way into the Majors, and that’s what I did last year.”
Joaquin Niemann with the trophy after his win in the Australian Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)
He won the co-sanctioned Australian Open last December to then get into the Dubai Desert Classic, where he finished T4, and Niemann would like to play further DP World Tour events later this year – if he is welcome.
“I would love to play some DP World Tour events,” he added. “I don’t know if I’m going to be allowed or not, but yeah, I would love to play some events.
“If I can get some world ranking and see if I can get any spots into the Majors.
“I’m a [DP World Tour] member,…
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